The present invention relates to a vehicle body having a midgate panel which is pre-hung on a structural ring for installation in a body opening between a passenger compartment and a cargo compartment.
It is known in the art to provide a pickup truck or SUV having a cab portion for carrying passengers with a rear seat section behind the driver and a cargo box behind the cab portion for carrying cargo. It is also known to provide aligned openings in the cab portion and the cargo box for carrying longer loads which extend into the passenger compartment when the rear seat is folded down. Currently, a multi-use vehicle is available which provides a pickup truck or SUV having a rear passenger compartment convertible to a cargo area and separated from a rear pickup box by a midgate having a flexible hinged panel and window system. This vehicle is adapted to accommodate a variety of optional configurations for alternatively carrying a maximum passenger load or an extended cargo load under both covered and uncovered conditions in which the cargo load is protected from or exposed to ambient external conditions.
An issue with current midgate panel designs may be installation and alignment. The body opening between the cab portion and cargo box is formed by numerous body components. Accordingly, build variations in these body components may cause variations in the actual size of the opening between the cab portion and cargo box, which can significantly affect the fit between the midgate panel and the opening, which may affect sealing, opening and closing efforts of the midgate panel.
The invention provides a structural ring to which the midgate panel is pre-hung prior to installation of the ring and panel in the opening between adjacent body compartments. By pre-hanging the midgate panel onto the ring, the fit and operating effort for the midgate panel with respect to the ring may be precisely controlled independently of build variations in the body opening. The structural ring may also include a cross-bar and window preassembled therein for installation with the ring into the body opening.
More specifically, the invention provides a vehicle body having a first compartment for carrying passengers or cargo and a second compartment for carrying cargo rearwardly adjacent to the first compartment. The body includes a plurality of body components defining an opening between the first and second compartments. A structural ring is attached in the opening and includes a midgate panel preassembled to the support ring to ease installation. At least one hinge pivotally connects the midgate panel to the support ring, and at least one latch selectively secures the midgate panel in an upright, closed position.
A method of installing a midgate panel in an opening between adjacent compartments in a vehicle is also provided, and includes the following steps:
a. assembling the midgate panel to a structural ring such that the midgate panel is hinged to the ring for movement between open and closed positions; and
b. thereafter installing the ring and attached midgate panel in the opening between adjacent compartments.
Preferably the support ring is a one piece steel ring which is welded or bolted to the body components in the opening.
The midgate panel may be connected inside a lower portion of the ring, and a window may be connected inside an upper portion of the ring. A window latch is operative to hold the window closed in the ring. Further, a cross-bar may extend across the ring between the midgate panel and the window. Alternatively, a window may be connected in the opening above the support ring.
A pass-through aperture may also be formed in the midgate panel, and a ramp member may be pivotable between a closed position covering the pass-through aperture and an open position contacting a body floor and forming a ramp to facilitate sliding long cargo through the pass-through aperture. The ramp member preferably has a hinge end pivotably connected to the midgate panel and an opposite end which contacts the floor in the open position. A second ramp member may be connected to an opposite side of the midgate for selectively covering an opposite end of the pass-through aperture.
Alternatively, a slideable pass-through closure may be slideably positioned over a pass-through opening formed in the midgate panel.
A window may be lowerable into the midgate panel for access through a window opening and raiseable for closing the window opening while allowing viewing therethrough. A pass-through opening may also be formed in the midgate panel, and first and second slideable pass-through closures may be slideably positioned over the pass-through opening for selectively opening and closing the opening.
An electric motor may be provided to pivot the midgate panel between open and closed positions.
Further, a counter-balancing strut may be operatively connected between the midgate panel and a body floor to bias the midgate panel toward open and closed positions, respectively, depending upon the pivoted position of the midgate panel.
A cross-bar may be connected above the midgate panel, and a removable window may be attachable in a window opening above the cross-bar. A screen may be attachable in the window opening when the window is removed, and the midgate panel may form a pocket to receive the screen or window when not positioned in the window.
Further, a window may be pivotably connected to the midgate panel for movement between a open position and a closed position covering an upper portion of the opening. The midgate panel may have a recess to receive the window in the open position, and the midgate panel and glass may be collapsible together against a body floor. The window may be powered or manually raised and lowered within the midgate to be fully closed, opened or positioned in an intermediate position.
A window may be hinged along an upper edge of the opening for selectively covering a window opening above the midgate panel.
A control may be provided for allowing the window to be raised or lowered only if the midgate panel is closed or only if a pass-through closure is closed.
Alternatively, a control may be provided for allowing unlatching of the midgate panel latch or allowing the window to be raised or lowered only when a corresponding vehicle transmission is in a park or neutral condition.
Further, a sealing panel may be removably connected to the midgate panel for selective connection to a hard cargo cover which is connected to the body to cover the second compartment (pickup truck bed). The sealing panel is attachable to a forward edge of the cargo cover over the window opening to seal the window opening to prevent water entry when the window and midgate panel are folded down.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will be more fully understood from the following description of specific embodiments of the invention taken together with the accompanying drawings.